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Hiring for tech jobs has increased more than 100% in these Midwestern cities

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71–80 of 302 posts

Re: Hiring for tech jobs has increased more than 100% in these Midwestern cities

#71
post #29

I worked with two developers in Boston who were DINK (Double Income No Kids) and they sold their Boston condo, moved to the Midwest (Minneapolis) and bought a six bedroom house on a lake and two jet-skis for the same price as their condo. Their cost of living went down tremendously. By their own standards they lost nothing compared to Boston (food/services/entertainment actually got better) except that they had to de…

Why does a childless couple need six bedrooms? They must have a lot of guests coming to Minneapolis.

Last time I checked, this country wasn't "to each according to their need". They wanted it, they could afford it, so they went out and got it :-)

Re: Hiring for tech jobs has increased more than 100% in these Midwestern cities

#72
post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is a very consumerist world view (get big house, get fun toys) that not everyone believes in. I choose to live in a more vibrant city where I essentially trade my money for opportunity, experiences, and community.

What do people mean when they say a city is "vibrant"?

[deleted]

Re: Hiring for tech jobs has increased more than 100% in these Midwestern cities

#73
post #17

Moved from the Midwest to the Bay Area, and tech comes in two forms: IT departments at major industrial firms (manufacturing, chemical, pharma, etc), or companies that are eventually bought by West Coast companies. The pay cap is much lower. Becoming a millionaire through stocks and wages is harder, but you will still be in the top 10% of earners overall. If you want to live in a mansion, the Midwest makes this dream…

"What you will find is that people are friendly, as long as you look like them (white)." Be aware that when people say things like this they often do so to feel virtuous themselves like only they are so enlightened that only they even consider being friendly to non white people. The idea that people in the Midwest (which has a population of over 65 million people similar to France and the UK) are only friendly to whi…

How do I know that they aren't giving me misinformation about everything else? Being non-white feels like I have to constantly avoid getting gaslighted in the US about my "race".

Re: Hiring for tech jobs has increased more than 100% in these Midwestern cities

#74
post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is a very consumerist world view (get big house, get fun toys) that not everyone believes in. I choose to live in a more vibrant city where I essentially trade my money for opportunity, experiences, and community.

What do people mean when they say a city is "vibrant"?

Coffee shops, bars/pubs, cinemas, theaters, opera houses, bigger and nicer libraries, real, physical bookshops (at least for people like me, who visit them regularly like how other people are going to church), and I’m sure I must be missing some other stuff.

As an anecdote, I went through a dark time about 10 years ago and living in a big city and being able to see strangers each and every day on public transport helped me tremendously, it meant not having to live with my dark thoughts. I could have not had the same experience had I lived in suburbia or in the countryside.

Re: Hiring for tech jobs has increased more than 100% in these Midwestern cities

#75

I worked with two developers in Boston who were DINK (Double Income No Kids) and they sold their Boston condo, moved to the Midwest (Minneapolis) and bought a six bedroom house on a lake and two jet-skis for the same price as their condo. Their cost of living went down tremendously. By their own standards they lost nothing compared to Boston (food/services/entertainment actually got better) except that they had to de…

I'm skeptical that the food/services/entertainment is actually better. What's the Asian food scene in Minneapolis? Can you get Sichuan, Hunan, Henan, and Yunnan or is it just that one Sichuan place? How about the movie theaters or theaters? I went from New York to Seattle and finding a theater that showed non-blockbusters was really hard. When I did find one, they were always three months behind New York. If I wanted…

There are well known theaters in Minneapolis that focus on indie films.

The restaurant scene regularly wins James Beard awards.

Asian food seems to lean more Korean, Vietnamese (possibly from the large Hmong population in the state), and Thai.

Also, it would be hard to sound more pretentious.

Re: Hiring for tech jobs has increased more than 100% in these Midwestern cities

#76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What are the big schools? I always thought that what was holding the Midwest up, not enough high quality schools.

There are plenty FAANG engineers minted from the top Midwestern schools - think CMU and other state schools - even if they rank behind the top schools on the coasts. Top paying tech jobs tend to be found on the coasts though as well.

> There are plenty FAANG engineers minted from the top Midwestern schools - think CMU and other state schools - even if they rank behind the top schools on the coasts.

CMU is a private school, ranked number 1 in CS, and is not in a Midwestern state! That said, there are lots of top CS programs in the Midwest.

Re: Hiring for tech jobs has increased more than 100% in these Midwestern cities

#78
post #52

Yup, just did this. Got an extra master suite, and 1.75 more bathrooms with much bigger yard and garage for $1100 less. And neighbors that actually talk to you. Not to mention half the price for gas and food. Oh, and the swings aren't chained up. Good-bye LA, I will not miss you one bit.

I did the same thing, I traded a third of an acre in Los Angeles for over a hundred acres in Washington State.

Re: Hiring for tech jobs has increased more than 100% in these Midwestern cities

#79
post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What are the big schools? I always thought that what was holding the Midwest up, not enough high quality schools.

Most midwestern states have a world-class research university. Northwestern, U of Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Purdue...

Minnesota, Iowa State, and the University of Ohio State are very good schools too for tech prospects.
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